Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tbilisi and Kegalle

For one person, living is cheaper in Kegalle: $601 a month against $1,278 in Tbilisi, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Tbilisi
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Tbilisi Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Kegalle
Learn more

Kegalle Living Index

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Tbilisi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$1,278

/mo nomad

Kegalle

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$601

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tbilisi and in Kegalle

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Tbilisi and in Kegalle actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Tbilisi versus $601 in Kegalle.

Tbilisi $1,278
Kegalle $601

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,017 in Tbilisi versus $876 in Kegalle.

Tbilisi $2,017
Kegalle $876

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,755 in Tbilisi versus $1,151 in Kegalle.

Tbilisi $2,755
Kegalle $1,151

Living in Tbilisi is roughly 113% more expensive than in Kegalle, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tbilisi 5% lower, Kegalle 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.62 ₾30.07

$3.10 LKR 1,031

274.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.41 ₾99.4

$24.26 LKR 8,070

58.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.74 ₾25.20

$7.32 LKR 2,436

33.06%

Cappuccino

$3.56 ₾9.21

$2.55 LKR 848

39.61%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 ₾2.80

$0.47 LKR 156

129.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₾1.46

$0.25 LKR 82.4

124.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 ₾7.05

$2.14 LKR 713

27.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 ₾8.09

$3.09 LKR 1,029

1.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 ₾5.55

$1.65 LKR 548

29.70%

White Bread (500g)

$0.75 ₾1.95

$0.47 LKR 155

59.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 ₾4.66

$0.68 LKR 227

164.71%

Eggs

$2.80 ₾7.25

$1.67 LKR 555

67.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.43 ₾24.41

$15.22 LKR 5,064

-38.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.00 ₾18.10

$4.88 LKR 1,622

43.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 ₾32.83

$7.73 LKR 2,572

64.17%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 ₾4.22

$6.06 LKR 2,014

-73.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 ₾4.77

$0.88 LKR 294

109.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ₾5.09

$4.17 LKR 1,386

-52.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 ₾6.39

$1.21 LKR 403

104.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₾1.95

$0.92 LKR 305

-18.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ₾1.74

$0.82 LKR 274

-18.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 ₾3.66

$0.38 LKR 125

271.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₾1.86

$0.42 LKR 140

71.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ₾9.08

$9.81 LKR 3,264

-64.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 ₾20.40

$13.80 LKR 4,592

-42.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₾4.41

$1.97 LKR 654

-13.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 ₾6.12

$2.68 LKR 892

-11.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₾0.98

$0.59 LKR 195

-35.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.29 ₾39.56

$7.33 LKR 2,440

108.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ₾3.08

$0.35 LKR 115

240.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 ₾1.91

$0.31 LKR 103

138.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.89 ₾30.76

$0.92 LKR 307

1192.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ₾3.77

$1.38 LKR 458

5.80%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$25.0K ₾64.6K

$43.2K LKR 14.4M

-42.23%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$22.8K ₾59.1K

$35.4K LKR 11.8M

-35.55%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$88.1 ₾228

$57.2 LKR 19.0K

54.10%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$12.71 ₾32.87

$4.32 LKR 1,438

194.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.79 ₾51.2

$21.06 LKR 7,005

-6.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.3 ₾166

$19.40 LKR 6,453

231.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.17 ₾49.59

$14.94 LKR 4,968

28.31%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 ₾17.20

$4.57 LKR 1,522

45.51%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$371 ₾961

$40.04 LKR 13.3K

827.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,163 ₾23.7K

$17.2K LKR 5.7M

-46.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₾264

$17.76 LKR 5,909

475.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.65 ₾103

$15.22 LKR 5,063

160.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₾306

$44.38 LKR 14.8K

166.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 ₾310

$41.55 LKR 13.8K

188.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$690 ₾1,784

$122 LKR 40.7K

463.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$461 ₾1,193

$91.5 LKR 30.4K

404.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,362 ₾3,523

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$897 ₾2,321

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,277 ₾5,891

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,378 ₾3,564

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$710 ₾1,836

$178 LKR 59.1K

299.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.53

12.5

0.24%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Tbilisi: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kegalle: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Tbilisi

$461 36.1%

Kegalle

$91 15.2% 80.2% $370

Groceries & Markets

Tbilisi

$235 18.4%

Kegalle

$236 39.3% 0.3% $0.8

Eating Out

Tbilisi

$191 15%

Kegalle

$97 16.2% 49.3% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Tbilisi

$171 13.4%

Kegalle

$54 8.9% 68.7% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tbilisi

$121 9.4%

Kegalle

$83 13.8% 31.5% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Tbilisi

$78 6.1%

Kegalle

$29 4.8% 63.2% $49

Getting Around

Tbilisi

$22 1.7%

Kegalle

$12 1.9% 46.6% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $690 in Tbilisi and $122 in Kegalle. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tbilisi pays about 4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $38 in Tbilisi vs $24 in Kegalle. Groceries flip the comparison at $235 vs $236, with Tbilisi cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇬🇪 Tbilisi

🇱🇰 Kegalle

🕒 Local time

13:26 1:26 PM

14:56 2:56 PM

1 h 30 min ahead of Tbilisi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,241,700 Capital

17,900

💱 Currency

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.344 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to GEL – Georgian Lari Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇪 Georgian Lari (₾)

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.91 GEL (1 GEL = 0.344 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 333 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 374 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR).

USD to GEL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tbilisi Kegalle 5,190 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Tbilisi
Kegalle

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Tbilisi vs Kegalle: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kegalle wins on cost – living expenses run 53% lower than in Tbilisi. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kegalle the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Tbilisi is about 4 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $690 in Tbilisi versus $122 in Kegalle. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $371 in Tbilisi versus $40 in Kegalle. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kegalle – a meal for two runs $24 versus $38 in Tbilisi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $601 in Kegalle versus $1,278 in Tbilisi, a $800 budget is realistic in Kegalle but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. The gap between the two cities makes Kegalle the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Tbilisi and Kegalle are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Kegalle wins on affordability, Tbilisi on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.